Delaware Bay, #1, 18″ x 18″, Rives

For the first time, I’m posting this blog from my studio on Wilkins Ave!  I have my little all-in-one computer here and I’ll be giving my zoom classes on it beginning next Wednesday afternoon.  I was concerned about the connection, but it seems to be OK. So I’m relieved.

This week I started doing the first paintings from the initial studies on Rives printmaking paper.  It’s a surface I’ve used before and like a lot.  I bought 10 sheets for $4 each at Plaza!  SO it’s a bargain compared to mounted UART boards!!!

I used Golden fine pumice gel and burnt orange liquid acrylic to produce a lovely mid-toned off red surface.  And it lay nice and flat with no buckling.

I did a charcoal drawing to begin with and laid in the pattern of darks in the land areas. I loved putting pieces of color in the distant land and developing the bushes and grasses.  The sky was more challenging because of the surface.  And I had problems with colors.  The sky ended up very blue with not blue below.  I added turquoises to both the sky and grass areas and then added some oranges into the clouds, trying to tie the colors together.

Compositionally, I cut the piece too much in half, despite my initial measuring.  But it’s not too bad.

What I loved about doing the painting was working intuitively to create the composition of value shapes and the color interactions. l It didn’t work until I added the bright yellow greens into the foreground.  This makes it come alive, I think.

I really loved getting back to this surface and a freer way of painting again.  I plan to stick with it for awhile and I have a show lined up in March of next year where I can show them.  So things seem to be working out

Now, I’ll add the second one!